Prof Stephen Hawking¹, one of Britain's pre-eminent scientists, has said that efforts to create thinking machines pose a threat to our very existence.

据英国广播公司（BBC）报道，英国最优秀的科学家之一史蒂芬·霍金（Stephen Hawking）教授近日表示，致力于会思考型机器的开发会威胁人类自身的生存。

He told the BBC:"The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race."

他向BBC表示：“人工智能的全盛时代可能导致人类灭亡。”

His warning came in response to a question about a revamp of the technology he uses to communicate, which involves a basic form of AI.

当被问及自己用于日常交流的技术改进问题时，他作出如上告诫，该技术涉及一种基础人工智能形式。

Prof Hawking says the primitive² forms of artificial intelligence developed so far have already proved very useful, but he fears the consequences of creating something that can match or surpass humans.

霍金教授说，事实证明，人工智能从原始状态发展至今已相当实用，但他对创造这些与人类旗鼓相当甚至更为优秀的人工智能所产生的后果感到担忧。

"It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate," he said.

他说：“人工智能可自我提升，并不断加速自我设计。”

"Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn't compete, and would be superseded³."

“而受限于缓慢生物进化的人类无法与之抗衡，将被其取代。”

But others are less pessimistic.

但其他专家对此并没那么悲观。

"I believe we will remain in charge of the technology for a decently long time and the potential of it to solve many of the world problems will be realised," said Rollo Carpenter, creator of Cleverbot.

Cleverbot的创造者罗洛·卡彭特（Rollo Carpenter）称，“我相信人类依然会在相当长的时间内主导科技的发展，并以此解决很多世界性问题。”